The present invention generally relates to a receptacle for an applicator for an incontinence insert. The components of the applicator, i.e., the carriage and the plunger, are separately packaged and contain a reference indication so that the consumer can easily distinguish the plunger from the carriage and can easily distinguish the components of the applicator from sanitary absorbent articles. Ideally, the receptacle of the present invention contains plungers that may be reused and therefore the receptacle may contain a number of plungers that is less than the number of carriages.
Sanitary absorbent articles are large-scale commercially manufactured articles used to absorb and retain bodily exudates. Such articles are convenient because they are economical yet disposable; they include sanitary napkins, infant diapers, adult incontinence pads, panty liners, tampons and the like.
Sanitary absorbent articles and particularly feminine sanitary napkins are made available to the consumer in receptacles containing a plurality of sanitary napkins. Traditionally, the industry has used receptacles in the form of cardboard boxes. In more recent years the cardboard box has gradually been replaced by a bag of plastic material. The sanitary napkins held in a receptacle, either a cardboard box or a bag of plastic material, are individually packaged. This feature allows the user to transport a sanitary napkin outside the protective environment of the receptacle, such as in a purse or pocket, while keeping the sanitary napkin free from dirt, stains or impurities. The typical packaging is in the form of a pouch of plastic material in which the sanitary napkin is placed. Immediately before use, the wearer removes the sanitary napkin from the pouch and installs it in the crotch portion of the undergarment. The pouch is then discarded.
Although the packaging described above is useful, differentiation and proper selection of sanitary absorbent articles on the store shelves is difficult because of the many choices of products and manufacturers. In addition, many users carry in their purse or pocket one or more of the individually packaged sanitary absorbent articles. As a result, the user must remove the package and visually inspect it to determine whether the package contains the desired absorbent article.
Compounding these present problems, in the near future, it is anticipated that incontinence inserts will be commercially available. Incontinence inserts are being developed to address then need for a non-surgical procedure and/or device to reduce the involuntary urine loss commonly associated with “stress urinary incontinence.” One way to alleviate the problem of incontinence is to place an insert within the vagina to allow the urethra to compress and/or provide support for the bladder neck in order to prevent the involuntary loss of urine. Inserts developed for such purposes are disclosed in for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,090,038; 6,090,098; and 6,142,928, the relevant portions of which are incorporated herein by reference. To properly deliver these and other incontinence inserts, applicators have been developed and examples of applicators are disclosed in commonly assigned, co-pending applications, U.S. Ser. No. 09/675,458, and 10/274,855, the relevant portions of which are incorporated herein by reference.
As a result of the anticipated commercial introduction of incontinence inserts, there is a need in the industry to develop a receptacle for applicators for incontinence inserts and for a reference system to allow the user to identify the components of the applicator and to distinguish the applicator or its components from sanitary absorbent articles.